Stepping out of the stairwell after leaving class today I was immediately greeted by the painfully familiar words scrolling across the news in the lobby: BREAKING NEWS: ACTIVE SHOOTER, and sorrowfully I seemed to be the only one who was affected by this news, many people walked past the screen without a care in the world because it has gotten to be such a common thing these days. That is not okay.

How have we as a nation gotten to where we are? We have went from 'One Nation Under God' to 'One Nation Under Cover'. With each shot that is released from the end of a gun that bullet causes much more damage than what meets the eye. With each shot, someone, a daughter, a son, a mother, a father, a teacher, a nurse, a taxi driver, a human being is impacted so deeply that they might not ever get to look into the eyes of their loved ones again. However, somehow that bullet doesn't just hit the target, whether intended or not, but it ricochets and affects us all. How can we continue to walk down the street humming tunes when someone just became an innocent victim?

Why is there so much hatred? Why don't we just love each other? Despite who you are, where you are from, what your story is or what you believe in, we are all the same on the inside.

It is time that this comes to an end. A change is needed and it won't happen unless we are the ones who step up and make it happen. We need to be able to go to the movies without fear, go shopping for a new shirt with no fear except whether or not it is on sale. Why can't we go for a walk without thinking about whether or not we should arm ourselves for safety and for mere comfort?

I want this world to be what it was, I want my future children to grow up in a society in which no one is judged based on the color of their skin, where everyone has a respect for everyone that they meet and is aware of what they can do for those in their community who are hurting, or disabled. I want to be a part of a revolution in which love rings out instead of shots. I want to be in a country that understands what the true meaning of community is, one who breaks bread together and who supports each other in a time of hardship and need.

Violence. Hatred. Terror. It all needs to stop. Now is the time to create a change. We are the ones who can make a difference. I may be nothing more than a small freshman girl, but I have a voice, and I intend to use it. Will you join me?